Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a climate control device for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, used at least for heating purposes but also suitable for use in combination with a refrigeration system in order to provide comfortable interior air temperatures within a wide range of temperatures outside the vehicle.
The invention also concerns a particular use of such a climate control device with automatic control.
Essentially, to that end, the automobile passenger compartment climate control device according to the invention, consisting of an electric fan group, an air distribution conduit in the passenger compartment which has at its entrance an air mixing shutter which diverts a variable amount of the air flow from the fan to a heating radiator, followed by a distribution shutter which sends air to either a defrosting conduit or to an outlet at the floor of the passenger compartment, is characterized by the fact that it includes electronic probes for measuring the temperature inside and outside the passenger compartment which are connected to a microcalculator whose memory contains a formula for the interior temperature ordered and a law or control for the flow from the fan group, both as a function of the outside temperature, the calculator being programmed for receiving temperature measurement data and processing it so as to give off signals which depend on the temperature ordered and the measured interior temperature, signals to which devices for adjusting the position of the micromotors controlling the mixing and distribution shutters mentioned above respond as well as means for sending commands to feed the heating radiator and signals commanding the electrical supply to the fan group in accordance with the flow formula referred to above.
In addition, it is to be preferred that the device according to the invention have, in parallel to said distribution conduit, an auxiliary conduit leading to inside air vents, characterized by the fact that said auxiliary conduit entails a flow regulating shutter and a shutter for mixing with heated air from the aforementioned distribution conduit, and methods for controlling micromotors which activate the aforementioned shutters in the auxiliary circuit in accordance with output signals obtained by comparison between the inside temperature formula ordered and the measured temperature.
This device may also be used in conjunction with a refrigeration unit, in which case it is particularly characterized by the fact that said unit is located in the circuit prior to the fan unit in an air entry conduit connected to the distribution conduit and at its entry entailing a two-position shutter: recycling of passenger compartment air or allowing the entry of outside air.
More particularly, it is characterized by the fact that, in response to a predetermined threshhold of outside air temperature measured by the relevant probe, the microcalculator issues a signal for the refrigeration unit to begin functioning, and, in response to a second predetermined and higher temperature threshhold, a signal to position the above-metioned shutter in the recycling position.
The invention thus relates to various ways to affect the determination of the temperature inside the passenger compartment as well as to ways of selecting and correcting various modes of operation at the demand of the user, as will be seen below.